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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Presents for an almost 4 y/o who doesn't like toys!!

68 replies

Tigersteakpie · 13/11/2021 09:27

My wonderful DS2 will be four in late Jan. He is a great kid but he doesn't really play with toys in the traditional sense. His brother likes Lego/duplo/cars so much easier!

What does he like? He likes role play, his favourite game is running around the house pretending to be Bluey/Pikachu/a dinosaur.

He absolutely loves making dens and hiding in dark places with a torch. We often find him in cupboards 🤣. This is along with pretending to be on adventures, his second fave thing to do.

He likes bags and things he can put things into. He runs around with a rucksack and puts toys into the rucksack, but he doesn't play with them for long. Little pots and boxes are always a hit.

He does quite like little dinosaur toys/figures but he has lots of these.

We have a toy kitchen which he enjoys and all the paraphernalia.

He loves to climb, swing & play outside. If he's not running around the house on some adventure, he's outside making potions or having an adventure on the climbing frame.

All the toys I see - paw patrol cars, marble runs, Lego, he'd like them a bit, but they don't tap into his real interests.

So I need out there presents, for a role play, den loving, active little pre schooler!

Hit me with your ideas!

OP posts:
Onionbhajisandwich · 13/11/2021 21:20

I’d go for dress up outfits and I’d make him an adventurers / explorers kit. You can buy all kinds of den making kits as well.

WithRosesAroundTheDoor · 13/11/2021 21:30

Does anyone in your area do Forrest school classes? They sound like they would be right up his street.
We bought my nephew a set of 6 classes two years ago and he still calls them the 'bestest present ever, ever'.

Authenticcelestialmusic · 13/11/2021 21:42

Brio builder best £60 I’ve ever spent. They build swords, camping stoves, animals etc.
Pizza kitchen or ice cream kitchen (Melissa and Doug I think).
Quadro, it’s expensive but gets used for imaginative play. Pirate ships, castles, boats, cars - such a good toy! We did buy a large set with extras but worth the money.

twocatsandtwokids · 13/11/2021 21:54

Another vote for dressing up clothes and/or craft supplies! My DD is the same, not so into toys, but has always loved the above!

pandora206 · 13/11/2021 22:19

A bag of clay - real potters' clay not the air drying sort. It would be great for building landscapes for small worlds' toys (animals/dinosaurs/people/vehicles, etc) and for modelling, printing, and general messy play - such as mixing with water and other substances. You can preserve masterpieces by allowing to dry then painting and varnishing (though they won't be waterproof).

InvincibleInvisibility · 14/11/2021 06:43

How about top trumps of wild animals? My 7 year old loves reading the little info snippets and then meeting those animals on his adventures!

Anycolourwilldo · 14/11/2021 06:45

This could be my DD. They would get along so well!

Userss88 · 14/11/2021 08:20

The Den Kit Company have wonderful things.
Mud Kitchen?
Adventure kit with binoculars, mini marshmellow roasting kit?
Small pop up tent if you have a garden?
Might he like Fossils?
Dig out your own dinosaur bones toy?

PunkAssMoFo · 14/11/2021 08:29

Go trovo Treasure hunt game and a pad of treasure map paper to make his own maps.

user33323 · 15/11/2021 00:02

Oh, I have two like that so I think I have lots of suggestions. It was a total shock to me when my youngest actually played with toys and didn't just stuff them in bags and shoes and tie them up with string occasionally during various role play.

Gorilla Gym, this was the best christmas present we ever had, but sadly we don't have a door suitable since we moved house so use it anymore. But if you do, they are brilliant. We had a hammock attachment too.

Kidizoom camera-I will admit this didn't have longevity but one of mine still claims this was the best give they ever received and it wasn't something they had actually asked for. I think the Kidizoom watches might be a better bet these days as they have activity games.

Yoto player. we use this daily, play the podcast first thing in the morning, have a story on during bath time, have music cards on through the day, use the app to play music and stories in the car, take it camping, take it into the garden etc one of the cards you can get for it is a pretend campfire, it makes the crackling noise and has a picture of a fire... my kids love to use this in games. It also is a clock, nightlight, and has sleep sounds for night. If you do decide to go for one, feel free to use my referral code for discount: prz.io/y1qJ448Tp

Toys to use on walks that you can keep in your car: Kite, Frisbee, Stomp Rocket, Walkie Talkies etc

Puppets/puppet theatre, fancy dress costumes, toy suitcases, a wooden chest full of treasure (charity shop jewellery, strings of Christmas beads, coins etc)

Things like torches, magnifying glasses, binoculars, giant magnet etc always went down well too. Brainstorm toys often have good things.

It gets easier when they can write in my experience. Then they entertain themselves making pretend letters/tickets/treasure maps/passports/menus etc as props for all their role play.

Tigersteakpie · 17/11/2021 23:21

@user33323 they so sound alike! He really does just enjoy wandering around the house collecting things and climbing on things. The other day he got rather excited as he came across a jute bag he'd not seen before. So that occupied him for an hour or so!!

He has literally just last week started making me letters and maps so we have all this to come!

Some wonderful ideas, so thank you!!

OP posts:
Thanksagainand · 17/11/2021 23:24

A letter from Father Christmas , these are lovely www.magiclittleletters.com/

Bunnycat101 · 18/11/2021 07:22

Something like this if he likes dinausaurs. www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/paleontologist-play-set-e6900.html

My children have both loved shoving stuff in bags. Both of them still use the wooden bits from stacking toys to shove in bags and use in different ways. I’m tempted to get some pieces like this: www.babipur.co.uk/search/?q=mandala

Rockandgrohl · 25/11/2021 21:07

What about a kids microscope...you can get age appropriate ones and he could look at all the stuff he finds on his adventures through it!!

Kidaroos · 12/04/2022 20:47

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FixItUpChappie · 01/05/2022 15:23

I did a dress up box for my boys and would add costumes and accessories over the years.

Also items like the Melissa and Doug pirate chest were a big hit - I bought various extra bits to go inside a pirate map, compass, gems, spyglass to go inside.

Imaginative play is so fun and there are all sorts of gifts to encourage it along

FixItUpChappie · 01/05/2022 15:24

Sorry I see this is an old thread Confused

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